ELECTRICITY CONTROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 78, 5 June 1945, Page 5

ELECTRICITY CONTROL

SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF POWER VOLUNTARY RATIONING ESSENTIAL The demands on the supply ct electric power to this district have now reached such a peak that strict voluntary rationing by every consumer is necessary if the inconvenience of having the entire service cut off for periods during the day is to be uvoided. A new electricity control order which has just been gazetted and which has been issued to all elec-. trie supply authorities places restrictions on all lighting and other use. of power which is not absolutely essential. The lighting in shop windows may now not. be left in use after the shop has closed for the rest of the day. Only when staff remain behind to dress windows or do similar work may it be kept in use. The same applies to the interior lighting of milk bars restaurants and dining rooms where lights may be left on after closing time only if staff are back after hours. . Up to the present time, the c has been no restriction on the amount of undcr-verandah lighting outside cinemas, concert halls, or dance but only to its use being limited to half an hour before and fifteen minutes after any performance during hours of darkness. The amount of lighting now, however is restricted during those periods to no more than one watt for each square foot of verandah area. Tf there is no verandah outside the cinema, then no outside lighting at all is allowed.

It .should be noted that necessary or desirable extensions to street lighting may be made so long as no increase is made, thereby to the total wattage, or if the wattage is increased, the hours of burning are reduced by the required amount. The penalties for breaches of the electricity control order are summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of twelve months or to a fine of £100, or to both. The fact that these penalties exist does not seem to be generally known. For the week ending May f> the system peak load of 295 000 'k.w. was 2800 k.Av. greater than last j*ear > and compared for the same week in it was up 30,000 k.w. If this rate of increase in peak load had been reflected also in unit consumption we should have been in very serious; difficulties before this. Stress is laid on the appeal not to use radiators if it can be possibly avoided, particularly between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. It is not known that a 1000 watt radiator uses as much current as 16 60 watt lamps It is therefore apparent that a total loss of power by disconnection will be the only means left by which to limit the load unless consumers voluntarily restrict consumption and refrain from using all electrical ap-i pliances and lighting any more than is strictly necessary at all times of the day.